RE: “The satellites run at their full range”

Computer Audio Asylum

Music servers and other computer based digital audio technologies.

Posted by Tony Lauck (A) on June 17, 2013 at 09:50:15

In Reply to: “The satellites run at their full range” posted by hfavandepas on June 17, 2013 at 09:01:52:

I considered the factors you suggested. I tried both ways. It sounded better running the satellites full range. I don't know the reason why, but some guesses come to mind:

1. removing filters from the signal path removes a source of distortion
2. the satellites have their own internal 40 Hz high pass filter that protects them from excessive cone excursions. Listening in near field they are not working very hard so distortion is not an issue.
3. I am using the phasing and polarity of the sub woofer vs. the satellites to cancel out a room mode effect and this doesn't work so well unless there is overlap between the satellite and the sub.

If I had a bigger room and was listening much further away then I might have reached a very different conclusion. My system has an absurd amount of headroom in terms of undistorted sound. There is no problem getting row 5 Mahler symphony concert volumes at my listening position with headroom to spare. One can hear sine waves down to about 30 Hz without obvious doubling until the volume is cranked way up. The subwoofer is not actually doing very much as it is in the corner and the level is cranked down. However, it makes a substantial impact on overall sound quality because room boundary effects were affecting the 70-90 Hz region without it. (Because the subwoofer is cranked down so much, I have actually dialed in a bit of bass boost down below 30 Hz which doesn't seem to cause any problems. The subwoofer itself is high passed at 30 Hz.)

The one thing I don't like about the Focals is that the plate amps on the satellites run too hot to touch. I believe this is the 100 watt class AB amplifier that drive the tweeter. All the other amplifiers in the system use variable voltage rail amplifiers (BASH technology). The 350 watt subwoofer amplifier runs dead cold.

Tony Lauck

"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Height and distance of computer workstation near-field monitors. - Duster 15:49:29 06/16/13 (14)

RE: Height and distance of computer workstation near-field monitors. - Jaundiced Ear 01:11:29 06/19/13 (0)

Depends on what you mean by "computer audio" system - J.Mac 13:41:40 06/17/13 (0)

You might be interested to know about these - scruffy_ 23:32:45 06/16/13 (0)

RE: Height and distance of computer workstation near-field monitors. - Old Listener 21:41:58 06/16/13 (0)

RE: Height and distance of computer workstation near-field monitors. - hesson11 20:37:16 06/16/13 (0)

RE: Height and distance of computer workstation near-field monitors. - Tony Lauck 18:36:10 06/16/13 (2)

“The satellites run at their full range” - hfavandepas 09:01:52 06/17/13 (1)

RE: “The satellites run at their full range” - Tony Lauck 09:50:15 06/17/13 (0)

Does this help? Excuse the mess! - scruffy_ 17:24:08 06/16/13 (5)

Cancellations and Reinforcements - fmak 00:15:13 06/17/13 (3)

Ah, but the enjoyment! - scruffy_ 00:53:09 06/17/13 (2)

You cannot have - fmak 06:42:57 06/17/13 (1)

I enjoy my setup for 12+ hours a day... - scruffy_ 09:36:52 06/17/13 (0)

ha! (nt) - Duster 18:24:59 06/16/13 (0)

Follow Ups

RE: “The satellites run at their full range” - Tony Lauck 09:50:15 06/17/13 (0)

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